What is Susan Docherty smoking? At the unveiling of the new Buick LaCrosse, the VP of Buick, Pontiac and GMC (which one of these things is not like the other) told Bloomberg that GM aims to keep a “75-day to 90-day” supply of the model on dealer lots. A 60-day supply is considered ideal. But, apparently, a 15 to 30-day overage would be OK, ’cause the supply would be “consistent with similar premium models such as Honda Motor Co.’s Acura TL.” And there we were thinking the LaCrosse was aimed at something in the Lexus portfolio (48-day supply). Docherty’s comparison to the Acura TL is, shall we say, invidious. The TL is a dog, with a 100-day supply on the ground. Also worth noting: Acura dealers have a 62-day supply of RLs and a 32-day supply of the TSX. And if you figure-in Acura’s SUVs, the wayward Honda brand’s total dealer inventory represents a 58-day supply.
Perhaps Docherty meant that a 75-day supply of new Lucerne’s would be more-or-less consistent with Buick’s total inventory. Although the near-luxury GM brand has an 89-day supply of the current LaCrosse, and a 99-day supply of Lucernes, thanks to the Enclave (46-day supply) their total inventory represents . . . a 74-day supply. Close enough? [All inventory stats courtesy of Automotive News, sub]
20 Comments on “GM Plans 15 to 30-day Over-Supply for New Buick LaCrosse...”
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So is this what the ‘New’ GM is aspiring to be? Honda without the success?
Hummer, Cadillac for Europe, GM US West Coast … Docherty has a mind numbing series of failures on her resume.
Susan @ Hummer:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=106536
Susan @ US Western Region:
http://askpatty.typepad.com/ask_patty_/2007/08/getting-to-know.html
“Susan led a turnaround and right sizing effort as the Marketing Director for the GM European organization responsible for selling North American produced vehicles in Europe.”
http://www.gmeurope.info/geneva2006/downloads/bios/pdf/docherty.pdf
Now she is head honcho for the “GMC-Buick-Pontiac” sales channel. Just the latest in a long line of boneheaded GM moves. They thought that scrambling the org chart would fix these three brands. Guess what, one of the three is already dead and the other two have no good reason to exist.
Anywhere GM is making bad strategic moves, Susan shows up like Zelig.
Ouch… The gang that can’t shoot straight…
Interesting that the first Ch. 11 didn’t humble GM. Maybe #2 will.
She can be used as an example of everything that is wrong with GM, since she can screw up really big so many times and still have a job. If GM was run like any other car company, she would have been canned after the HUMMER fiasco.
Come on, guys! It’s a new model, so it has to make money, fast. GM books the sale on shipment to the dealers, so the way to get a chunk of revenue is to stuff the sales channels and claim the car is a runaway hit. It’s the new GM way. With the old GM way, they’d announce the car, but nobody could buy one for two years. Since the new way brings in revenue, this is much better.
Yeap, it’s a pipeline stuffing exercise. Basically having the dealers order as if it will get a 25% sales boost off the bat. Not likely in this sales climate.
Ok, it’s kinda dirty pool, but to admit it? I think I see how she’s stayed employed, put the company first and only forget the rest.
“What is Susan Docherty smoking? ” – weed.
I don’t see this car being the success GM hopes it will be. I think LaCrosse sales will sorely disappoint GM.
The LaCrosse is a good-looking premium car that seems to have gotten most of the details right. I hope it does well for them, but it’s being introduced in turbulent times…
This is nothing more than GM’s “old” way of doing business and this is why GM is not going to survive. It is obvious they have learned nothing by their past mistakes as they are willing to continue doing business like they always have. Once they have their precious 75-90 day supply the next thing we will here is that the production line will be shut down due to an over supply, and they will be forced to put expensive incentives on the vehicle and in the end, lose money. My point is that GM has no idea how well this model is going to sell and should it do well, there is nothing wrong with with creating demand should the model do well and people have to wait. This is a much better alternative than carrying excess inventory. This way of thinking (build it to build it) is why GM is in the mess that they have self created. Unless the decision makers at GM are replaced, it will be business as usual; You have to wonder what GM has learned through the C11 process.
GM needs to build vehicles to pace sales and it is apparent that they will not. Incentives and inventory are two things they should avoid. Keep going GM; you will be known as “Government Motors” for some time to come.
shaker: “The LaCrosse is a good-looking premium car…”
It’s contemporary, true, but bulbous fronts, slit windows and squashed roofs that extend over much of the trunk turn me off. (As well as being copycat of many other makes.) I suspect I’d be more comfy in a ten year old Park Avenue, a handsome car with a usable back seat.
Let’s hear from Buickman: will the new LaCrosse design help Buick sales?
Say, I wonder if it has occurred to GM that the pre-C11 goal of terminating a lot of dealers is inconsistent with the post-C11 goal of getting a bigger inventory out there for shoppers.
Sort of resembles the Cruze….
I guess that’s consistent since the Cobalt had the same tail lights as the G6 and it took more than a glance to tell the difference.
That can’t be good.
I like seeing a bit of chrome come back though.
The car looks okay but the dash look as something Salvador Dali would do…
The interior is great, but I don’t like the exterior. I prefer the exterior styling of the recently-revealed Chinese market Buick Regal to that of the Lacrosse. I think it would look great if it had the Regal’s exterior and the Lacrosse’s interior.
http://uk.autoblog.com/photos/2009-china-buick-regal-1/
But, apparently, a 15 to 30-day overage would be OK, ’cause the supply would be “consistent with similar premium models such as Honda Motor Co.’s Acura TL.”
Translation: “Our initial sales projections were overly aggressive, with our current production volumes based upon those earlier high numbers. We have since reduced our sales forecasts to about 2/3rd’s of what they originally were.
“And since we’re still being overly optimistic, you should expect sales to be about half of what we initially promised. Look for more layoffs during the next six months.”
Thank you 50merc for calling this one right. Evidently we are just stuck with this fugly design trend until it plays itself out, as no one has the guts to go a different way (please lord, it WILL play itself out, right?)
Also, are instrument panels and consoles going to keep growing until they crowd out all driver and passenger knee space? That cabin looks downright claustrophobic in front.
The first gen LaCrosse was a pleasant enough looking car albeit usually trimmed out in Hertz/Avis style.
I suspect I’d be more comfy in a ten year old Park Avenue, a handsome car with a usable back seat.
That old Park Avenue was a very attractive car. I couldn’t believe it when they replaced it with the Lucerne.
Didn’t everyone complain about GM not having enough Camaros in the pipeline when it was launched?
So now they are planning a better supply for the LaCrosse, and that is wrong as well?
I will agree with above that most new cars are very ugly, so it would take a lot to ever get me to stop driving a Mercury Grand Marquis.
The Cruze is a stylistic mess, and I think it will unlikely will be sales hit for GM.
As for the LaCrosse, I agree with zc1, the Chinese Regal looks better. The US version grill just doesn’t work and gives the front end a bulbous cheap look to it.
I also think the interior of the Chinese Regal is much nicer too …
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-china-buick-regal/1248204/
Every time I read a statement form this bimbo, I can’t help but think of reading the same vapid blandishments of Lynn Meyers, the last female “whiz kid” who helped destroy Pontiac. Lynn must be Ms. D’s role model or mentor!